Deliver Us From Evil
by Voyager Tip
Summary: The boys land in a place where evil is at work, but they have goodness on their side.
1. Special Moments

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 1 Special Moments

They walked together companionably down the dirt road outside of Munich, Germany in June of 1912.

"This is really nice," Jeff observed. "I mean, we landed soft, it's a beautiful day, we haven't found the red light yet, I just feel like running. I bet I could beat you to that tree," Jeff said pointing to an old gnarled tree farther down the lane and jumping sideways in his excitement as they walked.

"My legs are twice as long as yours," Phineas said smiling at Jeff's enthusiasm.

"But I'm fast ...."

Phineas took off while Jeff was answering him and a half-second later Jeff was racing him to the tree.

As Phineas approached the tree, he realized he would get there first so he slowed down to let Jeff catch up. They touched the tree at almost the same time.

"I won!" Jeff shouted and Phineas laughed out loud. With his long legs he couldn't help but get there first, but it was so much fun to watch Jeff win that he just had to lose the race.

They collapsed on the ground beside the old tree, still laughing.

Once they had stopped, Jeff spoke, "You aren't fooling me, you know," he said.

"What?"

"I know you let me win," Jeff said smiling as he leaned up on one elbow.

"How can you be so sure?" Phineas asked.

"My dad used to do the same thing, get close to the end and then all of a sudden slow down," Jeff answered. "It's so obvious."

Bogg glanced at him, but he didn't look upset, like he did every other time he'd mentioned his parents. "Smart kids give me a pain," he muttered and Jeffrey laughed again.

"Now what?" Bogg answered.

"I was just thinking, that was one of the first things you ever said to me," Jeff told him.

"Do you remember every single thing I ever said to you?" Bogg asked amused.

"Only the important stuff," Jeff answered, "and there hasn't been much of that." He laughed again as Phineas Bogg leaned over and began tickling him, "stop," Jeff gasped, "I give up."

"Say you're sorry," Bogg ordered, continuing to tickle his young partner.

"I'm sorry," Jeff gasped out and Phineas stopped and rolled over onto his back on the warm grass smiling. He sighed, sometimes these special moments snuck up on you so unexpectedly.

Jeff sighed too as he settled down beside him.

"We sure aren't gonna find the red light this way," Jeff observed.

"Well, remember what I told you about revolutions?" Bogg asked.

"They find YOU" Jeff said without hesitation.

"You don't really remember everything I've ever said, do you?" Bogg asked, a bit worried. He didn't think everything he'd ever said deserved to be remembered. Jeff smiled, but didn't answer, "well, anyway, red lights tend to find you too," Bogg finished.


	2. Separated

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 2 Separated

They continued on down the road and crossed a bridge. Phineas climbed down to the water to get a drink while Jeff sat on a rock and dumped sand out of his shoes.

A car approached and stopped as Jeffrey stood up, and a man and a woman got out and approached him.

"Well, you don't have to tell me who you are," the man said as he held his hand out to Jeff. Jeff shook hands with him, unsure how to respond.

"He's the spitting image of your brother, sir" said the woman, who Jeff realized she was a servant of some kind.

"Come, get in," he said beckoning Jeff toward the car as he opened the door. He obviously had mistaken Jeff for someone else, but Jeff wasn't going anywhere without Bogg so he just stood still.

"Hi folks," Bogg's voice came from behind the woman. He had obviously walked under the bridge and climbed up on the other side.

"Did Herbert send you?" the man asked him.

"Herbert?" Bogg asked, raising his eyebrows as he glanced at Jeff. Jeff shrugged to let Bogg know he didn't know either.

"Yes," the man's voice was annoyed, "at the Labor Exchange, he was supposed to send over another laborer. Our place is just up the way and we're the last house before the forest gets dense. Why else would you be on this road?"

"We could give him a lift to your place, couldn't we uncle?" Jeff asked, trying to let Bogg know what they'd said to him.

"Once he tells us who he is," the man answered.

"Phineas Bogg," Bogg said immediately and extended his hand. When the man didn't reach out to shake it, he put it down and continued, "yes, I'm looking for work."

Soon they were both in the back seat of the car. As they sat together, Jeff smiled as he thought about their situation. He was a guest, part of the family, and Bogg was a laborer. This could be entertaining. The same thought must have occurred to Bogg because when he next looked at Jeffrey he didn't look as happy as he had on the road.

The car pulled up to an old house and came to a stop. "We have some work that needs to be done around the place," the man announced as they got out.

Bogg stood up and glanced around. It had obviously once been a grand place, now a bit run down.

"You can stay in the shed," the man said to Phineas as he pointed to a rundown building next to the barn.

"Okay" Bogg said quietly and went to investigate his new living quarters.

"Where are your bags?" the man asked Jeffrey as they walked inside the large house. Jeff paused, knowing there weren't any bags. But again, the man seemed to supply his own answer. "Left at the station while you decided to walk? My brother always loved a walk too."

As they ate a tasty lunch, Jeff listened carefully to the conversation and quickly found out that his "name" was James and that the man was his Uncle Max. The servant woman did the cooking and was called Marta, and she had a son, Rich, who was 12 and lived with them too.

Jeff smiled at this and thought that not only would he be able to watch Bogg work on this voyage, but he'd have someone his own age to hang around with too. This just kept getting better, but he wished he knew what was wrong.

That night, however, he lay in bed and suddenly felt very lonely. He hadn't seen Bogg since they had arrived. He'd been working with two other men inside the barn practically since he'd arrived and the laborers had eaten out in the shed. He sat up in bed and looked out the window in the direction he knew the shed was, but everything was dark, so he lay back down, promising himself to find Bogg tomorrow, just to be sure he was okay. He felt ashamed for thinking it would be fun to watch Bogg work. The truth was, he'd rather be working at anything with Bogg, than in the fanciest house without him.

_Author's Note: Please leave a review, even a very short one is much appreciated!_


	3. Bogg's Situation

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 3 Bogg's Situation

As Phineas entered the shed, he saw 2 other men inside. "I'm Phineas Bogg, I was just hired," he introduced himself. They extended their hands and shook. Their names were Seth and Peter, and as they moved to lean forward, Bogg saw that there were manacles around their ankles and their feet were chained together.

"You can sleep here," Seth said, pointing to a flat board about a foot off the floor. There was a blanket on it, the only thing that made it look like a bed.

"What're those for?" Bogg asked, motioning to their feet, "this is a job. I'm not a prisoner."

"It's a job for us too," Peter began, "and this guy pays well too, but he's had some bad luck lately I guess, with his workers stealing from him and then running away. He just wants to be sure he gets his money's worth. He lets us go every weekend, then we come back Monday morning."

"Why don't you work somewhere you won't be chained up like this?"

"There aren't any jobs around. I'm glad I've got this one," said Peter, easily the most talkative of the pair.

Bogg shook his head. He didn't care much for being shackled. This was not the way a reasonable person handled his affairs. He hoped Jeff was faring a lot better than this, in that big house with the man who'd decided to shackle his employees.

A loud knock interrupted his thoughts and Uncle Max entered the room. With a bad feeling in his stomach, Bogg allowed him to shackle his legs together, then followed him outside and into the barn.

As they entered the barn, Bogg looked around. The loft was half down, and several old stalls had collapsed sides. He wondered what could've happened to cause such a mess. Max told them that their first job was to fix the loft, though Bogg felt like the floor would have been a better choice.

"Wouldn't it be a good idea to shore up the floor, before we tackle anything else?" he asked. "We have to walk on it, in order to work, and it doesn't seem all that stable." As he spoke, he pushed his foot hard onto one spot where the boards bent so far in he was afraid he'd fall through.

"Just work where I tell you," was the gruff response.

So Phineas and the other 2 laborers worked on the framework of the loft, and when the sun was very low in the sky, headed back to the shed for supper and a night's rest.


	4. The Secret

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 4 The Secret

By the time Jeffrey found Bogg the next morning, he'd been up and working for 3 hours. "Careful where you walk in here, the floor's not stable," Bogg told him as he worked hammering a support beam into position under the loft.

Jeff carefully made his way over to his partner, "you got any idea what's wrong here?" he asked.

"I was hoping you did," was Bogg's response while he paused in his work and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Jeff shook his head, "something's not right here, but it's more of a feeling than a fact." He paused, then added, "and I don't like being separated."

Bogg turned and gave him a quick hug, "me either, but with you in there and me out here, we're bound to solve this sooner rather than later, right?"

"Yeah," Jeff smiled, he always felt better after talking to Bogg.

"James, what're you doing?" Rich's voice came from the barn door.

Jeff turned suddenly away from Phineas, no one was supposed to know they were connected. "I'm ready," Jeff called out. Rich had told him he was going to show him something special today.

"You don't need to concern yourself with trash like that," Rich said as Jeff joined him and Bogg went back to work.

Rich led Jeffrey onto the back porch where a wire cage was sitting on the steps. In it was a dark gray mouse. He picked up the cage and kept walking. "I designed this myself," he announced.

"The cage?" Jeff asked.

"It's not a cage, it's a mousetrap," said Rich proudly. "It's for catching them alive so they can be turned lose far away from the house."

Jeff smiled, "that way you don't have to kill them," he said, "that's nice."

"Well, that's what everyone thinks, but, can you keep a secret?" he asked, stopping to face Jeff.

"Sure," Jeff answered.

"Then I'll show you what I really do, but you have to keep it a secret."

Jeff looked at his expression, which had changed and was now one of excitement, "okay," he said uncertainly.

Rich led him around to the other side of a berm, where a small hut was half dug into the earth. They walked in and Rich lit a candle. There was a table, a large cleaver stuck into it, and the faint smell that reminded Jeffrey of how small animals smelled as they were decomposing on the side of the road after being hit by a car.

Rich dumped the mouse into a large wooden box so it couldn't climb out and then picked up the cleaver. "Did you ever hear the story of the Three Blind Mice?" he asked.

Jeff's eyes opened wide. He couldn't be serious, this had to be a joke, just to see if he could scare Jeff.

But, Rich reached down and grasped the mouse by the tail and held its hind legs above the floor of the box. With one swift movement, he picked up the cleaver and sliced through the mouse's tail, close to its body. Its squealing made Jeff feel sick. He couldn't believe Rich had just done that, right here, in front of him. It had happened so fast!

"Why did you do that?" Jeff shouted above the squealing of the mouse.

Rich smiled at him, "research, but its fun too," he said.

Jeff's mouth was dry, "what kind of research?" he asked softly.

"The darker ones squeal loudest, they always do. They're weaker than the lighter colored ones."

Jeff stared at him and felt cold air suddenly surround him.

"I'll show you again, course I know you don't have anything to compare it to, but take it from me, this mouse will squeal a lot louder than the lighter colored one last week."

And Jeff watched in horror as Rich took a long wire and put it in the candle's flame.

"What're you gonna do with that?" he asked, the coldness of the air almost making it hard to speak.

"Well, I asked you if you knew Three Blind Mice, didn't I?"

Jeff stood in shock, surely he wasn't going to continue to torture this mouse.

"Don't do it," Jeff said loudly.

"You stay here til I'm done," Rich told him and plunged the hot metal into first the left eye, then the right one of the poor mouse. Jeffrey looked away, but he couldn't close his ears. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't quite find the will to move his legs. He heard the squeal of agony, but it quickly died away.

"You goin soft on me?" Rich asked turning toward Jeff. He put down the hot wire and picked up the cleaver. He pointed it at Jeffrey's chest, "if you tell anyone about anything that happened here, I'll sneak in your room at night and slit your throat while you sleep," he said seriously.

Jeff froze, the knife was touching his shirt, close to his heart, and he believed that Rich would do it. "I promise," Jeff whispered. He felt the cold again and it seemed not only to be surrounding him, but seeping into him through every pore. He breathed it in and felt like throwing up.

"Get out then," Rich spat at him and Jeff turned and ran as fast as he could out of that hut and away from Rich. After a few minutes, he fell near a stream in the hot sun and coughed and threw up what was left in his stomach from breakfast. The sun warmed his skin, but somehow, deep down he still felt cold. He wiped his eyes and the sweat from his forehead as he sat up, thankful that Rich hadn't followed him.

How could a twelve-year old kid do such things? How could anyone? he thought. Were they supposed to fix this kid? Make him normal? Jeff was certain that was impossible. He was just glad that he'd gotten away from him in one piece. He didn't even want to go near him again. And he didn't want Bogg near him either, he couldn't let anyone he loved go near that boy. He sat there in shock for a long time, thinking about what he had seen. Finally, the sun went behind a cloud and the change in light reminded him that he should get back to the house.

_Author's Note: This chapter of the story was the second chapter I wrote. The chapter called "Deliver Us From Evil" was the first one I wrote. I wanted to show how Jeff might respond when confronted with something evil. All the rest of the chapters grew around these two. Please comment, I know this is a bit dark so I'd really like to know what you think!_


	5. The Accident

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 5 The Accident

As Jeff made his way back, he slowly became aware that something was wrong. Marta stood in the yard outside the barn entrance as though she was afraid to enter it.

"Bogg," Jeff whispered as fear gripped his insides. Something bad had happened in the barn and that's where Jeff had last seen his friend.

Jeff ran past Marta, who grabbed him and spoke into his ear, "you can't help, best stay out here."

"What happened?" Jeff asked.

"The floor caved in," she explained, "two of the workers fell through, one of them is hurt bad , I sent Rich for the doctor".

Jeff's chest hurt as tears sprang to his eyes. He broke away from Marta and ran into the building. Most of the floor was gone, and he looked down into the lower level of the barn. He saw a man lying very still, and Bogg was beside him trying to move some debris. Jeff's relief reached so deep inside him that he felt sick for the second time that day. He reached out for the nearby wall to steady himself. He wondered where the other workers were, but as he watched, he saw the back wall fall down and light shine into the lower level of the barn. Uncle Max and the other worker were using horses in the back of the barn to pull away the boards that had been put up to block a door that had obviously been there when the barn was built.

Jeff watched as the unconscious man was lifted and placed in the wagon, but as the wagon was driven away, he kept his eyes on Bogg, who was still in the lower barn area. Jeff noticed he had been limping as he worked. Now that he was alone and the injured man had been hauled away, Jeff saw him grab onto a two by four and slowly lower himself to the floor. He pulled his ankle toward himself and tried to cardle it the best he could. Even from this distance, Jeff could tell he was in a lot of pain.

Jeff ran outside and down the slope, passing the wagon with the injured man. He ran to the back of the barn, where the wall had been pulled down and rushed into the barn. "Bogg, how bad is it?" he asked breathlessly, falling on his knees beside his partner.

"Just a sprain I think, but it hurts a lot," he was breathing hard and continued to hold his ankle.

"No wonder, you've been standing on it to work down here," Jeff said as he put his hand on Bogg's shoulder and squeezed it hard. "You hurt anywhere else?" he asked worriedly, noticing that his friend didn't look very well.

"I don't think so, I don't know, but my ankle's killing me," was the answer.

"We need ice," Jeff started.

"There's no ice here," Bogg reminded him. Then Jeff stood up and ran and around to the well. He lowered the bucket and brought up a bucket of cold water. He dumped it into a container on the ground and carried it to the back of the barn. He found some rags and soaked them until they were cold, them laid them on top of Bogg's ankle. The manacle was getting tight, thanks to all the swelling.

"It's disgusting the way they have these on you, this needs to come off," Jeff said, "now." He got up again and returned a short time later with his Uncle Max. He removed the manacle and went to get one of the smaller wagons to give Bogg a lift up to the shed. Jeff waited with Bogg, worried a bit more when he didn't object to the wagon ride. And Bogg hadn't made a move to sit up in a nearby chair, he just sat still on the floor of the barn. Jeff moved beside him and put his arm around his back as they sat, waiting for the wagon.

Phineas had learned that sometimes sprains were more painful than broken bones, but he hadn't really believed it until now. He couldn't believe how much his ankle hurt. Now that the emergency was over, and he sat down, he had felt dizzy and a little sick to his stomach. He didn't want to move and risk passing out with Jeff here to worry. The kid looked scared enough. He really shouldn't look that scared, Phineas thought through the pain.

Jeff followed along behind the wagon and was surprised by the condition inside the shed. "He can't stay here," he said to Uncle Max as they settled Bogg onto the wooden bench he'd been sleeping on.

"This is where the laborers stay," Max answered as though that would settle it. "Come with me James," and Jeffrey had to follow. But as soon as he could sneak away, he vowed he would return with more cold water and a pillow for Bogg to put his foot on. Bogg wasn't a complainer, but he could tell that his ankle hurt him badly.


	6. In The Shed

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 6 In the Shed

Phineas fought a wave of nausea as he was jostled along in the back of the wagon. No wonder Jeff's arms had been around him, he must've looked terrible. By the time he'd been helped onto the "bed" he'd barely known where he was. Since then however, every minute had been better. It was true that he had nowhere soft to rest his foot, but lying still was a lot better than being jostled around.

He hoped Jeff wasn't in trouble for taking care of him, it was an emergency after all. He still had a few of the cold towels Jeff had put on his ankle. They had felt so good at the time, but had since warmed up. Getting the cold water had been a great idea.

He pulled the towels off his ankle and settled back as best he could on the hard plank. His ankle was starting to hurt again, a severe aching this time, not a sharp pain like when he'd broken his arm. He was sure it wasn't broken, but couldn't believe how much it hurt. It was going to be a long, pain-filled night, he was sure of that.

Seth entered the shed, "The doc just got here, good thing we left Peter in the wagon, they're taking him to town," he explained, "I've gotta get back to work."

Phineas nodded and closed his eyes, glad they weren't expecting HIM to go back to work. It was starting to get chilly, but he didn't have the desire to move his leg by leaning over for a blanket. He'd just try to rest quietly and wait for the pain to ease up.


	7. Caring

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 7 Caring

Jeff sat at the supper table, his stomach in a knot. None of these people cared at all that Bogg was hurt and alone out in that shed. The other laborer was at work in another part of the yard and would be working all evening. It was June, and would be light for at least 3 more hours.

Jeff had tried to get away, get back to Bogg, but had been met by Rich at every turn. He seemed to know what Jeff was trying to do. Jeff wondered if he could possibly know how he felt about Bogg. It didn't seem likely, but Rich was very smart, horrible yes, but also smart. He could have figured it out. He decided to put a plan he had been formulating into effect.

"Uncle Max?" he said.

"Yes James?"

"I think I'll turn in early tonight, all that action tired me out," he said as he fake yawned for his Uncle's benefit.

"I wanted to take you to the concert in town tonight, you know that" his uncle said.

"I know, but I think I'll just fall asleep during the show," Jeff recited his well thought out excuse.

"Well, maybe I should go into town and check on the worker who was hurt. I guess I could do that instead. Alright James, maybe we can go next week."

"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow," he said and slipped away from the table to the stairs. He hoped they'd be gone by next week.

Up in his room, he put the food he'd taken from dinner into a pillowcase. He looked at his bed, with its 4 pillows up near the headboard. He took 2 of them and squeezed them together into the same pillowcase and threw it out the window. He climbed out quietly and made his way down the trellis on the side of the house, hoping it wasn't as rickety as the barn floor. But, it held him, and he reached the ground without being spotted. Everyone must still be in the dining room.

A short time later, he opened to door of the shed and entered quietly.

"What're you doing here?" Bogg's voice met him as he turned around.

"Here, I've got some stuff," he said as he put down the heavy container of water he'd carried again from the well and looked for one of the rags he had left on Bogg's ankle. He dipped it again into the cold water and spread it on the injury. "I brought a pillow too," he whispered as he took the pillows out of the pillowcase and waited for Bogg to lift his leg.

"Those are pure white, you'll be in a lot of trouble," Bogg said, but already his ankle was feeling better. He didn't know whether it was the cold cloths, the pillow or just seeing Jeffrey, but as Jeff turned toward him he reached up and pulled him into a hug. "That's a lot better, thanks," he said as he lay back.

"This one's for under your head," Jeff told him as he pushed the pillow in place before Bogg's head landed back on the plank. "I wish you could have a real bed."

Bogg smiled at him, "I'm great, especially now that you're here, stop worrying," he said affectionately. He paused for a second, "thanks a lot for all this, it really helps."

But as Bogg looked at Jeffrey, he could see that he looked upset, almost like he was going to cry. "What is it Jeff?" he asked worriedly.

_Author's Note: I'm trying to show the contrast between acts that are kind and good, and ones that are not. I bet you can guess what's on Jeff's mind. _


	8. Deliver Us From Evil

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 8 Deliver Us from Evil

Jeffrey reached for Bogg's arm and squeezed it as he spoke. "I wish we could be together, I don't like this place," he said.

Bogg's throat tightened up, "I know, but this voyage can't last forever, we'll we gone before you know it." He was trying to lighten the mood, as he often did when Jeff was upset. Unfortunately, though his words sounded true, they didn't offer much comfort to either of them. He paused, at a loss for words, and in the stillness, Jeffrey finally said what had been preying on his mind.

"Do you think there is evil in the world Bogg?" he asked softly.

Phineas put his hand over Jeffrey's, where he was tightly squeezing his arm. "Why do you ask that?" he asked Jeff worriedly.

Jeff swallowed hard before he told him about the mouse, the knife, and the hot wire. "I know it was only a mouse, but ... it felt cold all of a sudden, and I felt like there was ... something ... all around me." He paused, and then he told Bogg about Rich threatening to kill him if he didn't keep the secret. "Afterwards, when I thought about it, I decided that it felt like ... something evil."

After almost a minute, Phineas spoke. "Yes, there is evil in the world, and that's what you saw and felt," Bogg said with a certainty that surprised Jeff.

"But how can we beat it?" Jeff asked.

"I don't know that we're supposed to, there's always been evil in the world, and I guess there always will be, but saying a prayer couldn't hurt," Phineas answered and Jeff stared at him in surprise for a second time.

"Really?"

"There's a famous prayer that talks about this very thing. Near the end there's a line that says 'deliver us from evil'. It wouldn't be a bad idea to pray about that," Bogg finished quietly.

"Okay," Jeff said and let go of Bogg's arm. As he turned to change the cloth on Bogg's ankle, he felt calmer and safer than he'd felt all day.

"Can you pass me that blanket?" Bogg asked him and Jeff not only passed it to him, but helped spread it out over him.

They decided that Jeff could stay until those in the house were asleep, so when Seth returned to the shed bringing supper for himself and Phineas, Jeff was still there and before long, Seth knew that their relationship was much different from what it appeared.

Jeff continued to put cool cloths on Bogg's ankle as darkness fell. Finally, they decided it was time for him to leave, and Bogg spoke.

"I want you to take this," he said, handing him the omni.

"What about you?" Jeff objected, but Bogg interrupted him.

"You need it more than I do. Listen to me, if you feel that evil again, and need to get away, set it for a green zone, do you remember how to do that?" Jeff nodded and Phineas continued. "Once you're there, you can push reverse any time and I've set it to take you back here, and land about a quarter mile from where you left. That way you can find me again, alright?"

Jeff looked at him for a second before giving him a hug. "Okay," he whispered, "but I don't plan on leaving you."

"Good, because I need you, I just want you to be safe."

Jeff sighed and got up. "I'll stop back as soon as I can in the morning," he whispered as he slipped out the door.

Getting back into the house was easier than he thought it would be. Before he went to sleep, he thought back over what Bogg had said. He had never thought much about evil before, but maybe there was a good reason for that line in the prayer.

"Deliver us from evil," he whispered to God before falling asleep.

_Author's Note: This chapter of the story was the first thing I wrote, and the first line I wrote was "Do you think there is evil in the world Bogg?" It was just an idea I had about how they might talk about something truly evil. The chapter where Jeff saw the mouse tortured was written second, since I needed him to have an experience he could use to bring up the topic of evil with Bogg. The rest of the chapters grew out from those two. This is why a lot of times I put up chapters fairly quickly. I'm not actually writing them still, just pruning then a bit. Sometimes I edit right up until the very second I post! Please review, hardly anyone does and it means so much! Thanks in advance!_


	9. News

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 9 News

The next morning brought the news that Peter would recover and that eased Jeff's fears quite a bit. There was also more news, Marta's other son would be arriving the following day to live with them too. Jeff heard this news with trepidation. He hoped the new boy wouldn't be anything like Rich. Also, another new worker arrived from town to help with the work.

It was mid-morning, while the laborers were back in the barn, this time repairing the floor, before Jeff could sneak away from Rich to see Bogg.

He hurried into the shed and went straight to Bogg and gave him a hug.

Jeff filled him in on the news as he continued changing the towels on his ankle. "You know, after a day or two, hot water is supposed to help better than cold," he explained.

"Well, there's a fire, and a pot, let's try that," Bogg said immediately and Jeff could tell that his ankle was bothering him quite a bit.

So Jeff added some wood to the stove and filled the pot with well water and they waited as it heated up. When Jeffrey finally put the hot towels on Bogg's ankle, the pain lessened almost at once.

"That's a lot better, thanks," Bogg told him as he relaxed.

"Well, you might've been able to manage the cold towels by yourself, but there's no way you can do the hot ones 4 times a day."

"Four times a day?" Bogg repeated.

Jeff nodded, "when my dad sprained his ankle, my mom had him soak it in hot water four times a day. I remember it helped a lot."

"It does feel really good right now, the best it's felt since I hurt it," Bogg told him. It wasn't lost on Bogg that Jeffrey had just mentioned his parents again and not seemed upset. This was the second time since they had come here, and Bogg was happy that he could remember some good things about them without feeling too much pain.


	10. Rich

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 10 Rich

The following day, Bruno arrived in the morning. He was two years older than Rich, but Rich was clearly in charge when the two of them were together, and Jeff felt that Bruno was not happy to be with his brother again.

It was mid-morning again, and Jeffrey and Bruno had found a ball and were kicking it around in the yard. Bruno went out of his way to avoid Rich, and since Jeffrey did as well, they had naturally bonded together. Bogg was nearby, sitting on an overturned bucket, painting the mailbox and adjoining fence, happy to watch Jeff at play. One thing he regretted about taking Jeffrey on missions was that he never had time to just play with other kids.

He had brought a box outside so his foot could stay elevated, and he repositioned it from time to time when he had to paint a different side of the mailbox. His ankle was still quite swollen, though it hurt him much less than even yesterday.

When Uncle Max found out about Jeff giving Bogg the pillows and towels, he hadn't been upset and hadn't punished Jeff. Instead he had seemed to think that it was his own idea to take care of his injured workers. He'd never found out that Jeff had climbed out the window, or stayed with Phineas so long that first night, and that was just as well.

Phineas and Jeffrey had tried to distance themselves from one another since, to allay suspicion. Jeffrey was not happy about it, but at least he'd been able to catch glimpses of Bogg thoughout the day as he worked on small tasks Uncle Max gave him to do while he sat outside. Bogg kept as close an eye on Jeff as he could while he worked. He was not happy about the separation either, but had comfort in the thought that Jeff held the omni. He was also afraid that some day soon, Max would find out that his nephew had never actually arrived. Bogg had been worried when they learned that James' bags weren't at the station, but Uncle Max had convinced himself that they had been misplaced or stolen. He had never doubted that Jeff was his nephew. Jeffrey really must look exactly like his brother did as a child. It was a bit of good luck, or so Bogg hoped.

But, for now anyway, they were safe, though they still didn't know what needed to be fixed.

As Bogg watched the kids play, he saw Rich walk around the barn. Every time he saw that kid he remembered what Jeff had said about him. Rich watched the boys play for a minute and then ran into the game and kicked the ball hard toward the mailbox. He ran after it, and as he went by Bogg, he kicked the box out from under his leg and fell against Bogg's ankle.

"Hey!" Bogg yelled and reached out and grabbed Rich's arm. Rich kicked his ankle hard while twisting to get away as Jeff ran over and got between them, pushing Rich away. "Leave him alone," he shouted.

"He grabbed me!" Rich shouted, "and it was an accident, what are you so wound up about."

They stood a moment glaring at each other. "You did that on purpose!" Jeff accused him.

Rich took a step closer to Jeffrey and whispered, "prove it."

Jeff hesitated when he saw the glint of pleasure in Rich's eyes and felt cold all of a sudden. He was glad when Rich turned and walked away.

Jeff turned back to Bogg with tears in his eyes, "you okay?" he asked as he put the box back.

"Yeah, but I don't want you arguing with that kid, especially over me, he could hurt you," Bogg said. He was dying to give Jeff a hug, but out in the middle of the yard it just wasn't possible.

"He's right," Bruno said as he walked over. "Bad things tend to happen to people who argue with Rich."

Jeff stared at Bogg, "I was afraid he'd hurt your ankle more."

"I know," he nodded, trying not to let Jeff see just how much new pain he was feeling. He looked at his hand, the one he'd grabbed Rich with. It was colder than it should be. Then looked at Bruno, "what's your brother's name, his full name?" he asked.

Bruno looked at them, "Heinrich" he answered.

"And his last name?"

"Himmler, same as mine, why?"

Jeff stared at Bogg and his expression showed that he knew who Heinrich Himmler was and what he was destined to do.

"We're going fishing this afternoon," Bruno said to Jeff, "Ma's making us try to catch supper, will you come to?" There was pleading in the tone of his voice, Jeff didn't think he wanted to be alone with his brother near the river.

"Uh," Jeff glanced at Bogg who gave him a slight nod. "Sure," he answered nervously.


	11. Fishing

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 11 Fishing

Later, Rich, Bruno and Jeffrey walked into the yard carrying fishing poles. Jeff looked all around until he saw Bogg, under a tree and behind a bush, watching them. He smiled and continued along, keeping Bruno between himself and Rich.

They walked though the woods until they came to a place where the river moved swiftly over a few large rocks.

"You should go as far out as you can," Rich told Bruno, who glanced at the river fearfully.

"I think I'll stay here to fish," he said, and Rich advanced toward him suddenly. Jeff could feel the coldness coming from him and backed up. As he did, he caught site of Bogg, hidden behind a bush, a bit downstream. That was a good place, because if one of them fell in, that was the way the current would carry them.

"I said, get out deeper," and Rich's tone was icy. His body pushed against his brother and Bruno took a step backwards toward the water.

Jeff was afraid for him, until he heard him speak and thought he sounded different somehow.

"I'm not going to," Bruno said loudly, finally finding the courage to stand up to him. He braced his foot against a rock and pushed back against Rich's arm.

Suddenly, they were fighting, rolling on the ground and yelling. Jeff watched as Bruno punched Rich in the face and when he was stunned, pulled him to his feet. He turned him around and pushed him hard backwards so that Rich fell on the rocks and rolled over them into the river. The current caught him and he moved swiftly downstream, face down.

Jeff watched in shock as Bogg scrambled over the uneven rocks to get to the deeper water, and then plunged in and turned Rich over so he was face up. Jeff started running along the bank as they were swept downstream faster and faster.


	12. The Parting of the Ways

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 12 The Parting of the Ways

Bogg kept the boys head above the water and tried his best to swim but the current was too strong. With the weight of the boy in his arms, and his weak ankle, he couldn't move them toward the edge of the river. They were swept around some rocks and over others, and sometimes plunged under water, but Bogg kept the boy's face above water as much as he could. In a few minutes that seemed like an hour, the river became wide and shallow. He dragged the unconscious boy to the shore and collapsed beside him, coughing and gasping for breath, the pain in his ankle worse than ever.

Jeff ran to them, but stopped several feet away, taking in the scene. Rich lay on his stomach, very still. Very close beside him, Bogg was coughing, and breathing hard. Jeff advanced slowly and went to Rich first. He grabbed his belt and shirt collar and started dragging him downstream, over the mud and small stones on the river bank, until he was about 20 feet away from where Bogg lay. Then he ran to his friend. He had not forgotten his feelings after he'd seen Rich torture that mouse. There was no way he was going to let Rich near anyone he loved, even if he was unconscious.

"Bogg" he shouted as he fell to his knees beside the man, tears in his eyes.

"We made it," Bogg finally panted as he started to sit up realizing what Jeff had done with Rich. He watched as Jeff opened the omni and they both heard the red light still blinking.

"Oh," Jeff moaned, and Phineas didn't think he'd ever heard Jeffrey sound so miserable. It was a sound without hope, and even though Phineas couldn't breathe without coughing, and his ankle hurt worse than ever, he took Jeff in his arms. "Please let it be over," Jeff whispered, and Phineas could feel all the fear and stress in that sorrowful voice and hugged him even tighter.

As he sat holding Jeff, Bogg's eyes landed on the bridge where they had first met Max. Standing in the middle of the bridge, he could see Bruno. As Bogg watched in confusion, Bruno raised a hand to them and started walking across the bridge, away from the house and his mother. The omni, still open in Jeffrey's hand turned green.

"Look," he pushed Jeff upright and pointed to the bridge so Jeff could see Bruno walking away. "He's leaving home, and now he knows he's not a murderer," Bogg whispered as he pointed to Rich, who was sitting up, coughing and rubbing his head.

Jeff took it all in: Bruno, Rich, the river, the green light and Bogg, who had been holding him. Finally he spoke, "thank you for the green light," he whispered.

"It wasn't me," Phineas answered.

"I know, I wasn't thanking you," Jeff whispered. "I was praying."

They sat together quietly while Rich coughed, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Why did you have to save him?" Jeff finally asked.

Phineas knew that Jeff already knew the answer to that question, but he told him anyway. "Because he has to grow up and do terrible things," he paused. "I had no choice," he finished sadly.

"I know a famous quote from Heinrich Himmler," Jeff whispered.

"What is it?" Bogg asked.

"The decision had to be made to make this people disappear from earth, this is being accomplished."

"That's a terrible thing to remember," Bogg said before he could help himself.

"I said it was famous, not good. My dad told me that it would be worse if people forgot," he paused, "he was such a good person." Jeff put his head on Bogg's shoulder as tears trickled down his face and his shoulders shook.

"I know he was," Phineas whispered as he put his arms around Jeff again. "And you are too."

_Author's Notes:  
The above quote is an actual quote from Himmler, who killed himself and his family in the bunker with Hitler just before Berlin fell at the end of World War II. I won't give him any more attention here._

_My stories tend to have abrupt endings. That's because I used to write only for myself. I've only been publishing for an audience for a short time, but during this time, many other authors have offered support, which has led to side conversations on various topics and I think my writing has improved. One of these improvements is that now I appreciate the concept of closure a bit more. I bring this up here, because, this story would have ended here in the past. However, now, I feel the need to follow Jeffrey and Phineas just a bit further and add some closure. The last chapter in my story "Convergence" was written for the same reason, and it was added much later. So come with me for one more chapter! And please leave a review. 8^)_


	13. Recovery

**Deliver Us from Evil**

Chapter 13 Recovery

They landed rather softly next to an empty house with a well-stocked kitchen. Phineas wondered if the reason might be that their recent assignment had been so difficult. He confided to Jeffrey that it was the best Green Zone he'd ever been to. They had warm beds, food and peace. They didn't need much more, but when Jeff found two baseball gloves and a ball, he was ecstatic.

Jeff had made Bogg rest his ankle all week. For the first 3 days, he had done all the cooking and cleaning up. Phineas didn't mind resting his ankle, but by the fourth day, he was up hobbling around on it, insisting it felt better and taking over most of the chores. They passed the ball around every day and on their 6th day there, they walked to a small church, 3 doors down the block for the Sunday morning service.

As they left the church and walked under the shade of several large maple trees, Jeffrey spoke. "I liked the words of that hymn we sang," he began.

"Which one," Bogg answered.

"The second one, it was called, "Won't You Let Me Be Your Servant".

"How can you remember that?" Phineas asked in amazement.

"Bogg, it just happened!" But after pausing a moment, he laughed and admitted, "I already knew it." He paused again, "Anyway, one of the lines in it was something like _'we are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road, we are here to help each other go the mile and bear the load.'_, it kind of reminded me of us. I mean, we help each other, don't we?"

Bogg smiled and nodded, "we do."

"Only, you help me more than I help you," Jeff admitted.

"I wouldn't say that, the cold water you put on my ankle sure felt good."

"But that's not like what you do for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how you can always win the race because you have longer legs? You're bigger, and stronger and have more experience than me. You help me more than I can ever help you."

After a moment's reflection, Phineas answered, "I may have longer legs, but help can be many things."

"Like what?" Jeff asked.

"People need someone to care about them. That's how you help me, just by knowing you care." They sat down on a bench in companionable silence until Bogg turned to Jeffrey and changed the subject. "And another thing," he said loudly, "you think too much!"

Jeff smiled, "well, I won't be thinking about anything tonight except the rides. Remember, you promised!"

Jeff was referring to the carnival that would be opening in town this evening. He had convinced Bogg to go.

Phineas glanced at him worriedly and half smiled, he'd never even heard of a carnival, not the kind Jeff described anyway. And one of the rides Jeff described to him, the Spider, didn't sound too pleasant to tell the truth. But he had promised, and he wasn't about to go back on that.

Jeffrey sat beside him, unable to contain a smile. Bogg had no idea what he was in for, but he would after tonight, Jeffrey was sure of that.

The End

_Author's Note: I wanted to end with something good, to balance out the evil in this story. The reference to the race and Bogg's long legs from chapter one just kind of fell into place as I wrote it, but I think it helped bring the story full circle and make it complete. The hymn Jeff mentioned is one of my personal favorites and I really believe that line is the truth. I think we ARE here to help each other along life's journey. Anyway, please review!_


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